LESSON 5: HOME

Vocabulary: Describing places

1 Would you rather live in a city or in the country?

2 Decide if sentences 1-6 refer to the city or the country.

1 Urban regeneration involves bringing derelict buildings back into use.
2 It's very remote. = far-flung: xa xôi hẻo lánh
3 I live right in the centre, within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants and bars.
4 I like living here because I love all the hustle and bustle.
5 Where my auntie lives is idyllic and the pace of life is very slow. = sleepy
6 You don't see many detached houses here. It's all high-rise flats.

Complete the sentences below with words a-n.

a backwater b far c middle d easy e picturesque

My village is:
in the (1) ____ of nowhere.
a real (2) ____.
within (3) ____ reach of the nearest big town/city.
not (4) ____ from a big town/city.
idyllic and the countryside is really (5) ____.

f congested g cosmopolitan h destination

My city/town is:
very (6) ____. You can meet people from all over the world.
 a tourist (7) ____.
pretty polluted and (8) ____.

i spacious k heart m outskirts

j walking i cramped n suburbs

My house is:
(9) ____. I wish it was bigger. Cramped = chật chội
big and (10) ____.
in the (11) ____.
on the (12) ____ of a town called Sopron. Outskirts = suburbs: ngoại ô
right in the (13) of the village. heart
within (14) distance of the local shop. Walking.

Vocabulary: Comparing now and then

Mp3.20. Listen and complete the texts about changes to the speakers' hometowns.
1 [1] __Back in 1960__, this was a nice place to live. Everyone knew everyone and people
looked out for each other. I'm sorry to say that, [2] __since 60s__ the population has risen
dramatically and this has led to a breakdown in the community ties that used to unite us. Also,
second-home owners buy holiday homes here, and that has meant that the price of property
has escalated [3] __in recent years__, forcing young people to move away from the area.

2 My city is becoming more and more vibrant [1] __as time goes on__. I love it! [2] __It
used to be__ really dull, with nothing much for young people to do, [3] __but now__bars
and clubs have begun opening up. The city's no longer just for the older generations, with
theatres and museums - it's got a new lease of life luồng gió mới, with a great nightlife and an
increasing student population to enjoy it.

3 [1] __A century ago__, this town was a hive of activity = many activities happening
simultaneously, with its many factories and its port. [2] __Nowadays__, however, it's
nowhere near as bustling, as manufacturing has moved elsewhere. But I for one don 't bewail
the changes. There's a certain poignancy and beauty to the disused industrial architecture.
And, in fact, many of the old factories [3] are being converted into flats, and they're
extremely popular with trendy young couples who are now moving into the town.

IELTS Speaking Part 1

1. Tell me about your hometown.
2. In what ways has your town or city changed since you were a child?
3. How could your town or city be improved?
4. Are there any traffic problems where you live?

IELTS Speaking Part 2

My hometown is Thai Bình city, where I was born and raised there and I can say it is
definitely my favorite place. It is located in the northern of Vietnam, and about 2
hour drive from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Athogh my hometown is a small town,
it is both traditional and modern. I call it traditional because there still are many
festivals celebrated by the locals, about modern, as it is starting to be developed just
like other province having much more upgraded infrastructure.
Among all the places I have been to, I think Thai Binh is one of the best. There are
wonderful places to visit – not crowded and not polluted. I frequently go to beautiful
and clean beaches. It is located on many islands that are not yet developed and are
very peaceful and relaxing to stay in. On top of that, cold winter and hot springs are
the two special weathers here as well. Many people visit this place
to experience them

Dalat City is my favorite tourist destination. It’s situated in Lam Dong province
and about 300 kilometres away from Ho Chi Minh City. This city is renowned for
its unique housing architecture and the flower industry.
 
When and why did you visit?
The last time I visited Dalat was two year ago. I went there with my wife for our
honeymoon. We decided to travel to Dalat by passenger bus and came back to Ho
Chi Minh City by plane.
 
What did you do there?
Travelling by passenger bus took us about 8 hours to reach Dalat from Ho Chi
Minh City. We stayed in a small and lovely hotel situated in the outskirts of Dalat
City. The room we booked was small but very cozy, and well decorated with
woody furniture. The staff was very friendly and hospitable, so we had a wonderful
time staying there and were very satisfied.
 
In three days, we visited famous tourist sites of Dalat City such as Lam Vien
Square, the Chicken Church and the Teacher Training College which were very
beautiful. My wife and I took a lot of pictures and posted them on social
networking sites to share with others.
 
We went to Dalat market at night, bought some souvenirs and enjoyed local foods
such as the meatball soup with bread and hot soy milk sold by vendors. These
foods were extremely scrumptious in the low temperature of Dalat night.
 
Why did you enjoy visiting this tourist attraction?
There are plenty of things that I love to talk about Dalat City such as the cool
weather, delicious foods and local people who are very friendly and hospitable. By
the way, this city gives me the feeling of secure and comfortable, gets rid of all of
my working pressure and fills me with positive energy. I will definitely go back
there someday.

IELTS Speaking Part 3

Home
1. Is it only children who experience homesickness?

2. Do you think it’s better for children to grow up in the city or the country?
3. Why do some people retire to the countryside?

Patriotism
1. Are people from your country patriotic?
2. Why do people often feel proud of where they come from?
3. Does intense patriotism have any disadvantages?